How to Configure Synergy on Linux

How to Configure Synergy on Linux

UPDATE: Synergy (GPL input sharing software) gone paid. We publish only free and opensource reviews and tools and we are currently looking for the best solution to replace this review.

Synergy is an open source network utility which can be used to share one keyboard and mouse with multiple systems.

Synergy utility works on client-server model. The system whose keyboard and mouse you want to share, runs the synergy server service (synergys), and all the other systems runs the synergy client service (synergyc) to connect to server.

Synergy is a platform independent utility. Compiled version of synergy is available for various platforms including Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android and Apple iOS. You can download source code and compiled version from here.

Synergy brings your devices together in one cohesive experience.

Seamlessly move your mouse to any computer and start typing.

Works on all major operating systems (Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux).

Share your clipboard (copy and paste) between your computers.

Drag and drop files from one computer to another (Premium).

Encryption keeps sensitive data safe on public networks.

Network-based (IP) software KVM switch (non-video)

Use the appropriate package management command to install Synergy on your system as shown below. For Windows, you can directly download executable and install it.

Example Synergy Configuration Setup

In this case, we will have three systems mac-dev, nix-dev and fed-dev all connected to local network.

After installation, you need to define a configuration file to run synergy.

Configuration file has information about how these systems are connected in X,Y Plane. The synergy configuration file has the following sections:

screens

links

aliases

options

The default syntax of all sections is shown below. Just replace the name to one of the above section name.

section: name
arguments
end

Screens Section

Screens section will specify how many systems are going to connect through synergy service.

In screens section, either you can use either ip address or hostname of the systems.

section: screens
192.168.1.27:
nix-dev:
mac-dev:
end

Links Section

Links section will specify how these systems are going to connect in X,Y Plane.

There are four options such as left, right, down and up to connect screens to each other. Before writing link section, keep the system on which you want to run synergy server service ( it means you want to use keyboard and mouse of the system in all systems which are connected across local network.